Ball initialing machine



April 1952 c. D. SMITH BALL INITIALING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 30, 1949 April 15, 1952 C. D. SMITH BALL INITIAL-ING MACHINE Filed Aug. 30, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Patented Apr. 15, 1952 BALL INITIALING MACHINE Cloyd I). Smith, Pacific Palisades, Calif, assignor to Bali Renu, Inc., Los Angcles, Calif.

Application August 30, 1949, Serial No. 113,200

6 Claims.

This invention relates to imprinting machines, and has as its general object to provide an improved, simplified machine for imprinting objects particularly of a spherical shape. The invention is particularly useful for the purpose of imprinting initials upon golf balls.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a fully automatic, coin controlled ball imprinting machine. Another object is to provide a ball imprinting machine having means for selecting and setting the indicia to be imprinted upon a ball or the like. Another object is to provide such a machine capable of imprinting by a procass of transferring a pigment coating from a carrier ribbon onto the article to be imprinted.

Another object is to provide a ball imprinting machine that is of relatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Fig. l is a rear View, with the door open, of a machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view the eof taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view thereof taken on the line 3.-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a portion of the front of the machine showing the setting mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the electrical operating circuit of the machine;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of a printing unit;

Fig. 7 is a front view of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 8 is a rear view of the upper portion thereof, with the door open to expose the mechanism; and

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view through the front panel of the same.

As an example of one form in which the invention may be embodied, I have shown in the drawings a golf ball imprinting machine in which a golf ball in may be inserted into the machine and moved to a position from which it may be picked up by a work feed unit H and elevated into engagement with imprinting means !2. Interposecl between the work feed unit I I and the imprinting means i2 is a printing ribbon i3 through which impressions of type on the imprinting unit l2 are transferred onto the ball If] when the latter is pressed upwardly against the type. The feed unit H is raised, and the iiibbon i3 is advanced, by common operating mechanism which is indicated generally at M. The operation is controlled by the coinoperated control unit indicated at IS.

The machine has a casing including a front wall I6, top and bottom walls I! and I8, end walls l9 and a door 29 hinged to one of the end walls if! as at 2!. The operating mechanism is mounted upon a bracket including a base 22 and a vertical plate 23, the latter attached to the rear face of front wall IS. Front wall It and bracket plate 23 have a ball receiving opening 24 which is flanked by a pair of slideways 25 projecting rearwardly therefrom into the casing.

as shown in Fig. 3.

Slideways 25 may be mounted in any suitable manner as by means of a bracket 26 secured to the rear face of plate 23. Mounted in slideways 25 is a ball transfer slide 21 which has a circular opening '28 forming a seat for the ball l0. At the rear side of opening 28 is an upwardly extending stop 29 which functions to prevent accidcntal loss of a ball within the machine from improper manipulation of slide 21. Slide 21 has a handle 30 by means of which it may be moved inwardly and outwardly with reference to the machine. Slide 2! extends through opening 24 In the outermost position of slide 2l,' which may be determined by engagement of stop 29 against the plate 23, opening 28 is located outside the machine so that a ball it may be easily placed on the slide in a position seated in the opening 28. In the innermost position of the slide, shown in Fig. 8 (which may be determined by engagement of handle 33 against the front of the machine) ball If is centered above the feed unit I in a position to be picked up thereby and raised into engagement with imprinting units 12.

Feed unit ll comprises a head 3| having an upwardly facing concave seat to receive the bottom of ball l0, and a shaft 32 on which head 3! is mounted. The lower end of shaft 32 is slidably received in a bore in a cam follower 33. The upper portion of shaft 32 is slidably mounted in a bearing attached to plate '23 and follower 33 is slidably mounted in a bearing 9| attached toplate 23 and in turn provides a bearing for the lower end of shaft 32.

The lower end of follower 33 is bifurcated to embrace the upper extremity of an operating cam 34. In the bifurcated portion of follower 33 is journalled a roller 35 which rides upon the periphery of cam 34. Upward movement is transmitted from cam 34 through follower 33 and through a compression spring 36 to shaft 32. Compression spring 36 rests upon a flange 37 on the upper end of follower 33, flange 31 in turn resting upon bearing ti in the lower limit of movement of follower 33. The upper end of spring 36 engages a nut 38 that is threaded upon an intermediate threaded portion of shaft 32 and is thereby adjustable to vary the compression load transmitted through spring 36. Thus the pressure with which the ball H3 is pressed against the imprinting unit [2, may be adjusted to the desired degree. A return spring 39 engaged between the nut 38 and a socket in bearing 90, effects the downward movement of the feed unit when such movement is permitted by cam 34.

The inner end of slide 21 is provided with an opening IM to receive the head 3| in the event any mis-operation of the machine should result in the elevation of the unit I i when the slide 2? is in its outer position.

The imprinting units 12, of which there are three, each include a mounting sector I02 having a semi-circular periphery to which is attached a 43 are pinions 44.

13 semi-circular type bar I03 carrying printing type I04. Each of the three type bars has type I04 corresponding to all letters of the alphabet. The periphery of each sector I02 has a channel 40 (Figs. 3 and 6) through which extends an electric heating element 4I for heating the type. Each sector I02 has a central hub which is rotatably mounted upon a shaft 42. Shaft 42 is mounted upon the plate 23 as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the imprinting units includes a substantially semi-circular segmental internal gear 43, the ends of which are mounted in the corners of respective mounting sectors I02. Meshing with the internal teeth of the respective gears Pinions 44 are mounted on three shafts 45 each suitably supported for rotation as by means of bearing 46 mounted on plate 23. Shafts 45 extend through the front wall I6 of the casing and are provided with operating knobs 41. The gears 43 are of progressively greater diameter from front to rear so that the middle andrear gears have peripheral portions projecting beyond the periphery of the forward gear. The peripheral portions of the respective gears constitute dial faces bearing indicia 48 visible at the periphery of the forward gear and the projecting peripheries of the intermediate and rear gear respectively as indicated in Fig. 4. The indicia 48 each comprise the letters of the alphabet, and are so positioned that when a given letter 48 is visible through vertical slot window 49 in the front casing wall I6, the corresponding type element I02 will be-in printing position centered above the elevating unit II so as to properly imprint the selected letter upon a ball I0.

A light bulb 50 (Fig. 1) may be embodied in the top of the casing to illuminate the dial faces of gears 43.

The operating mechanism I4 includes an electric motor mounted upon base 22 and having a reduction gearing unit 52 including a driven shaft 53 which projects forwardly and has secured to its forward end the cam 34. The cam 34 has two dwell portions 54 and two lobes 55, whereby in' each rotation of the cam through 180, the feed unit II will be elevated from the starting position shown in Fig. 1 in which its roller 35 is associated with a dwell 54, through the elevated imprinting position in which the ball is pressed against type I04, this position being determined by the riding of roller 35 at the apex of a lobe 55, and back to the starting position of feed unit I I, determined by the movement of the other dwell 54 to a position centered beneath roller 35. Rotation of cam 34 as viewed from the rear in Fig. 1, is counterclockwise as indicated by the arrow.

Ribbon I3 is wound upon two reels 56, 56' the latter being connected to a ratchet wheel 51. Ribbon I3 extends from reel 56' over rollers 58 which guide it between ball I0 and imprinting units I2, and thence is rolled onto reel 56. Reel 56 is driven by a pawl I05 the lower end of which is pivoted to the horizontal arm of a bell crank 59. A depending arm of bell crank 59 rides upon the periphery of cam '34 at a point substantially 90 degrees from roller 35. Accordingly, when unit II is being raised, pawl I05 will retract under the pull of a spring I06 and as unit II is being retracted downwardly, pawl I05 will be moved upwardly to advance reel 55 one notch, thereby advancing ribbon I3 to a new position between feed unit II and imprinting unit 39. The retracted position of pawl I05 may be ad- 4 justed by an adjustable abutment screw 50 threaded through a bracket 6| projecting from plate 23.

The control unit I5 maybe of any conventional coin operated type including a suitable good coin selector and slug rejector indicated in Fig. 1 at 62, a coin slot 63 through which the coin must pass in going through the unit I5 (or leaving it) and a micro-switch 64 having an arm 65. The end of arm 65 operates in an arcuate slot 66 in chute .63, is engaged by coin 61 as the latter passes through chute 63, and is thereby moved downwardly, closing switch 64. I5 may drop into a coin collecting receptacle 68.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the coin operated switch 64 functions to initially energize a relay B through a circuit including a conductor I0, energizing coil II of relay R, and conductors I2 and I3 leading from a source of electric power such as the 110 volt source indicated. Once energized, relay R remains energized through one cycle of operation of the machine. This is accomplished by a holding coil circuit including a holding coil 14 in relay R, a conductor 15, a normally closed limit switch I6, a conductor H, a normally open switch 1'9, a conductor I9 leading to one side of power circuit I2, I3, and a holding coil switch in relay R, connected to the other side of the power circuit as shown. Normally open switch 78 is closed by engagement of inner end of slide 2! with its movable switch arm when slide 2! has been pushed into its inner position shown in Fig. 3.

The closing of relay R operates to establish a circuit through motor 5!, through a main switch 0| of relay R, and conductors 82, 33 leading to the power. circuit.

Switch I6 is a limit switch for terminating a given cycle of operation, and includes a movable switch arm which is engaged by one of two pins 84 carried by cam 34. The parts are arranged so that after being deenergized, motor 5|, which does not include quick braking mechanism, will coast sufiiciently to clear the end of the movable arm of switch I6 of contact with a pin 84 that has just engaged it, thereby allowing the switch 16 to return to its normally closed position.

Heating elements 4| are energized through a circuit including a transformer 35 the primary of which is connected to power circuit I2, I3 and the secondary of which is connected through a rheostat 6B and conductors 81, 88 to the elements 4I, in parallel. A master switch 69 is incorporated in the power supply line I2, I3, to connect the machine to and disconnect it from the power supply. The circuit to the heating coils is connected directly across switch 89 so as to be energized whenever the switch 89 is closed.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the imprinting unit, instead of being of arcuate form, arranged for pivotal adjusting movement, may be in the form of straight slides arranged for horizontal sliding movement. Fig. 8 illustrates a slideway 93 in whichthree slides 94 are arranged side by side. Each slide 94 carries type 39. Attached to the respective slides 94 are arms 95, 95', 95" which front of the machine, are provided with pointer knobs 98 for manipulating the three slides. Pointer knobs 98 cooperate with three rows of letters 99 imprinted on the front panel I6a of the machine.

Coins leaving the unit The panel Ilia. is indented and is illuminated by a light 50a mounted inside the machine and shining through a window 49a. The remainder of l/hB machine is the same as in the preferred form of the invention described above. Each machine may carry on its front wall an instruction plate 109.

Operation The instructions on the plate 190 (which is on the machine of either modification) directs the user to first place a ball in slide 2'! and to then push the slide inwardly to the limit of its possible inward movement. This brings the ball 10 to the operative position shown in Fig. 3 and closes the switch 19 of the holding circuit. The operator is directed to then place a coin in the coin slot (not shown). In passing through the control unit the coin will trip switch 04, momentarily energizing main coil 1! of relay R and closing both switches and 8|. The closing of switch 80 establishes a holding circuit, switch 76 being normally closed and switch 18 having been closed by slide 21. The energizing of the holding coil functions to hold the relay R closed until the holding coil circuit is opened by the opening of switch 19.

With the relay R closed, motor 51 will operate to rotate cam 94, raising feed unit I! into engagement with ball l0, picking up ball [0 and moving it upwardly into engagement with the three selected type elements I04, with ribbon l3 interposed between the ball and the type. The pressure of the ball against the type is that of the loading of spring 36. Impressions of the heated type I94 are transferred to the ball [0 through ribbon 13, corresponding sections of ribbon 13 being pressed into the surface of ball H3. The continued rotation of cam 34 allows feed unit H to be returned downwardly under the pressure of spring 39. At the same time, pawl I05- will be moved upwardly, acting against the ratchet wheel 51 to rotate reel 50 and advance ribbon [3 to a position for the next operation. As the cam 34 approaches the position shown in Fig. 1. one of its pins 84 will engage switch arm of limit switch 15, opening the holding circuit of relay R, deenergizing the relay, and thereby opening the motor energizing circuit to terminate the cycle of operation. Motor 5| will coast sufliciently to carry pin past arm of switch 15, releasing it so that switch 1'6 closes, resetting the holding circuit for another cycle of operation.

I claim:

1. In a ball imprinting machine: a housing having an aperture for passage of a ball therethrough; a feed unit within said housing, including a ball support and means for moving said support on a vertical axis; imprinting mechanism within said housing, disposed above said support in a position to effect imprinting of a ball carried upwardly thereto by said support; a slide having an opening of larger diameter than said ball support whereby the support may pass therethrough, and having a ball seat for supporting a ball in a position centered over said opening; horizontal slideways in which said slide is mounted for movement transverse to said vertical axis, from a position in which a ball may be placed on said seat from the exterior of the housing to a position in which the ball is centered on said vertical axis above said ball support; said feed unit including means for moving said. support vertically from a position disposed below the plane of said slide to a position projected upwardly through said opening and presenting the ball to said imprinting mechanism.

2. A ball imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said imprinting mechanism comprises a plurality of shiftable type-bearing units, means for shifting said units individually to selected positions, a printing ribbon, and means mounting said ribbon with a portion of the same disposed between said support and said imprinting units, and for advancing said ribbon upon each successive actuation of the machine.

3. A ball imprinting machine as defined in claim 2, including a coin operated control device; and means controlled thereby for automatically effecting, in separated stages of operation, the actuation of said feed unit and the advancement of said ribbon.

4. A ball imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, including a coin operated control device; and means controlled thereby for automatically effecting the actuation of said feed unit.

5. A ball imprinting machine as defined in claim 1, including a coin operated control device; said last mentioned means including an electric motor and a circuit for energizing the same, said circuit including said coin operated control device and a second control device in series therewith and made operative by the movement of said slide to the position in which the ballis centered on said vertical axis, to set the circuit for energization by the actuation of said coin operated control device.

6. In a ball imprinting machine: a housing having an aperture for passage of a ball therethrough; a feed unit within said housing, including a ball support and means for moving said support on a vertical axis; imprinting mecha-- nism within said housing, disposed above said support in a position to effect imprinting of a ball carried upwardly thereto by said support; a slide having an opening of larger diameter than said ball support whereby the support may pass therethrough, and having a ball seat for supporting a ball in a position centered over said opening; horizontal slideways in which said slide is mounted for movement transverse to said vertical axis, for carrying the ball into and out of the machine through said aperture, between a position in which said ball seat is disposed exteriorly of the machine, permitting the ball to be placed thereon or removed therefrom, and a position in which said opening is centered on said vertical axis so that said support may pass therethrough, engage the ball, and elevate it so as to present it to said imprinting mechanism, said feed unit including mechanism for moving said support on said vertical axis.

CLOYD D. SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,045,340 supplee Nov. 26, 1912 1,136,101 Church Apr. 20, 1915 1,421,539 Neuenschwander July 4, 1922 1,540,168 Dutton et al June 2, 1925 1,823,110 Luedtke et a1 Sept. 15, 1931 1,863,828 Broman et a1 June 21, 1932 1,960,560 Todd et al May 29, 1934 

